A very unlikely love story

I remember the first time we came to Boquete. While we drove up the hill I was amazed by the mountains, the colors and the rainbows that we would soon discover were part of everyday life. It was love at first sight.

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The town reminded me of the Coffee region in Colombia, my home country and where we had been traveling only a short year before. Now we were in a hidden town in the middle of Panama… "How did this ever happen", I wondered.

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You see, Daniele and I met under the most unlikely of circumstances.

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Back in 2013, Daniele, who is originally from Italy but was living in Brussels at the time decided to take a one year sabbatical leave and travel to South America. It was January 2014 when he arrived in Bogotá.

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Meanwhile, I (Carolina), born and raised in Bogotá, was starting my career in the not for profit sector working for a reputable foundation in citizen education projects.

This is the first picture we ever took in Boquete. Little did we know, it would soon be our everyday view.

The day we moved from Panama City to Boquete. The aloe plant now lives next to the river that runs next to the restaurant

Fast forward to six months later. Daniele never left Colombia except to visit Panama for a few weeks.

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On early June, we both decided to join groups of friends for a night out. As fate would have it, we met in one of the most interesting restaurants in Bogotá over amazing food and wine.

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Although it was Daniele´s last month in Colombia and he was going back to Europe, at the time I already had a ticket to Brussels I had bought months ago. We couldn't have planned it better if we tried.

Nine months later we were living in Panama City and looking for locations to open a restaurant. However, something didn't quite match, we felt it was not the place for us.

We discovered Boquete by chance and immediately fell in love with the climate and peaceful way of life. The rest is history.

Colibrí (which means hummingbird in Spanish) was born out of our love for travel, food and wine. Daniele was raised in a family in the wine industry and is deeply connected to the land. His parents still buy their wine in bulk from a small producer close to their home.

We love eating good, fresh food and are inspired by the vast amount of amazing ingredients available in the Chiriquí province. There is a reason why this area is known as the pantry of Panama. Our food is fresh, authentic and made with love.

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This picture was taken in Colibri's terrace by John, one of the first customers we had

We have created a menu based on our origins, experiences and travels. You will find fresh and crunchy salads, al dente pastas with the unique Italian touch, perfectly cooked meats and vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options that will stay in your mind and heart forever.

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Thank you for being part of our story, we hope you enjoy our restaurant!